Concert Reviews

ALPHA YAYA DIALLO @ Kole Note

By Kelly Belfo - After Noon Roots - 07/14/2006

Guinean-born Juno award winner Alpha Yaya Diallo brought the world to Kola Note on Friday, July 14th, 2006 as part of the 20 year celebration of the wonderful Festival International Nuits D'Afrique de Montréal.


WILCO + The M's @ Metropolis

By Alex Huynh - Losing My Edge - 07/10/2006


PELICAN + Mono @ Cabaret

By Johnny Suck - Turn Down the Suck - 06/17/2006


GODSMACK @ Metropolis

By Johnny Suck - Turn Down the Suck - 06/12/2006

Even though it’s lame, I still like to go slumming now and then. So you better believe I jumped on a free Godsmack ticket...

On my way over to Metropolis, I passed through the Francofolies site, which had Andrée Waters performing on the main stage. Stopping to watch for a few minutes, I was surprised by how good she was and even thought about sticking around for the whole set, Godsmack be damned. I don’t make light of commitments though, so I grudgingly continued on.


MOGWAI @ Spectrum

By Erin Stewart - Rock the Plank - 05/15/2006


BLUE CHEER + Witch + The Mongrels @ La Sala Rossa

By K-Man - 06/29/2006

Oh man, when my ex-bandmate Steve 'Lud' Ludvik told me a month ago that he and his new bandmates The Mongrels were going to open up for Blue Cheer, I almost fell over.

Ahh the lovely Sala Rossa: the beers were flowin' as the love was growin'. People were running into each other for the first time in 8-10-15 years. We really came out of the woodwork for this one. Emotions ran deep, no way of getting around that one on this humid June 29th.


D.O.A. @ Café Chaos

By Idle Matt - Idle Minds - 06/18/2006

"They rock out. They blow the roof off. Some of the best shows I've seen in my life were D.O.A. gigs. I've never seen D.O.A. not be amazing."
- Henry Rollins


ARCTIC MONKEYS + We Are Scientists @ Le Medley

By Idle Matt - Idle Minds - 06/16/2006

Let me say this upfront: I usually write pretty long reviews, but this show just doesn’t merit it. Simply put, it just wasn’t very good.


THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY @ Cabaret Juste Pour Rire

By Idle Matt - Idle Minds - 06/02/2006

In one of the more shocking concert line-ups of recent years, everyone’s favourite fervently anti-capitalist punk/garage band, The (International) Noise Conspiracy, actually headlined a show!


IMOGEN HEAP + Zoe Keating @ La Tulipe

By Fiona Mak & Tanya Nielsen - Airworks - 05/30/2006

British musical act Imogen Heap made it to Montreal for a memorable show at La Tulipe recently. The opener Zoe Keating (discovered by Imogen Heap through the internet) would loop and layer her cello-playing and sounds made from it. The final result would sound almost like it was a post-rock type of quartet or mini-orchestra. Keating's music strongly reminded me of what Owen Pallett's Final Fantasy does with his violin, except Pallett sings as well.


WOLFMOTHER + Psychic Ills @ Le National

By K-Man - 05/30/2006

I find myself back at Le National, a dusty old theatre in the east end of the city. Strangely enough, it's raining -- just like the first/last time I was here. This venue has refreshingly fairly priced refreshments... say that ten times without fucking it up and I'll give you money. Psychic Ills just got off the stage and judging by the reaction of this eclectic iPod-inspired audience, they didn't suck. I actually noticed that their merch table was busy as hell, even after the whole spectacle ended. What can I say, I missed the opening band... again.


BETH ORTON @ Club Soda

By Louis Rozza - Hooked On Sonics - 04/07/2006

This was British singer/ songwriter Beth Orton’s first Canadian tour since 2002 when she was showcasing her underrated album Daybreaker. The wait was worth it on this night. Her melancholic raspy voice was in fine form and so was her sense of humour, as she engaged the crowd at the beginning of the set saying “I didn’t know I was opening for Lesbians on Ecstasy”, referring to the huge letters that band had outside the marquee promoting their upcoming show.


MINUS THE BEAR + The Spill Canvas + Metal Hearts @ Club Lambi

By Omar Goodness - Hooked On Sonics - 04/24/2006

Aaaaaah, memories. Memories can be good or bad, depending how you reflect on them, and I like to remember the bad ones… it’s how I roll. But, how best to recall bad moments than to mask them with an air of humour. Y’know, mask those buried emotional wounds with “laughs” to hide the true deep dark pain. Weeeeeell, lemme tell ya a little story…


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